Leading Veterinary Diagnostic Company Sees No COVID-19 Cases in Pets

IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. announced that the company has seen no positive results in pets to date of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus strain responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) respiratory outbreak in humans. IDEXX evaluated thousands of canine and feline specimens during validation of a new veterinary test system for the COVID-19 virus. The specimens used for test development and validation were obtained from specimens submitted to IDEXX Reference Laboratories for PCR testing.

In mid-February, Idexx Laboratories, an American multinational corporation and global leader in veterinary diagnostics, started testing samples from dogs, cats and horses for the coronavirus strain responsible for COVID-19. Veterinarians submitted more than 3,500 specimens from dogs, cats and horses in South Korea and all 50 U.S. states, including areas experiencing human COVID-19 cases like Seattle.

These new test results align with the current expert understanding that COVID-19 is primarily transmitted person-to-person and supports the recommendation against testing pets for the COVID-19 virus. For dogs or cats presenting with respiratory signs, the recommendation is to contact a veterinarian to test for more common respiratory pathogens.

“Should leading health authorities determine it is clinically relevant to test pets for the COVID-19 virus, IDEXX will be ready to make the IDEXX SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RealPCR™ Test available,” said Jay Mazelsky, President and Chief Executive Officer of IDEXX Laboratories. “Pets are important members of our family, and we want to keep them healthy and safe. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 and pet health across our global IDEXX Reference Laboratories network as this situation evolves.”

IDEXX Reference Laboratories is a global network of more than 80 laboratories united by a shared commitment to advancing pet care. IDEXX never stops looking for new ways to do more and discover more to enhance the health and well-being of pets, people, and livestock. Customers worldwide benefit from the company’s sophisticated network of veterinary reference laboratories in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Brazil, and across Europe, which offer the most complete and advanced menu of tests in the industry.